Generosity: Examples of it in your life

[Pinga]

Thanks crazyheart. Great story about generosity. Do we have trouble helping those we know? Is it easier to help the stranger?

 

[Mendalla]

The ctte said," Give her notice and hire someone with a car."

Looking at the ctte and the minister, I blurted out, "I thought we were taught to help the poor and needy."

They replied," We will be offering someone a job who will need one."

This is the point at which I facepalm and start looking for another church.

 

[Luce NDs]

Some people face plant in a pillow and refuse the hard paean 've it ... knowing truth that humans are the pits ...

 

[Mrs.Anteater]

Years back. I sat on a ctte in my church. We had an excellent pianist who had many personal

problems. She lived on Social Services and the little this church paid her. At the meeting where

this woman's circumstances were being discussed, she needed a ride to church. At the beginning people

picked her up. There was no bus and people didn't want to do it any more.

The ctte said," Give her notice and hire someone with a car."

Looking at the ctte and the minister, I blurted out, "I thought we were taught to help the poor and needy."

They replied," We will be offering someone a job who will need one."

I said, "You have poor and needy sitting in front of you every Sunday morning and rather

than help her and find a way to get her a ride, you will push her further into poverty."

This was a few people on a ctte. My trying to help. got me in trouble. She was let go.

her problems did not go away.

This church did not practice what it preached. It eventually folded.

This reminds me of our story, too. When we amalgamated, we had one volunteer office person and one full time one. So the job was posted and the full time one, who was excellent with people and also well known in the community asked to have a pay raise (she has worked for years for one of the congregations). I once gave her a ride home, and she said from her pay she can't afford to have a car). The personal committee sugested to give her the job including the payraise, but the council (or the executive?) overturned this suggestion. We ended up hiring somone else part time, who has a hearing loss and can't afford to buy hearing aids....

 

[Mrs.Anteater]

Thanks crazyheart. Great story about generosity. Do we have trouble helping those we know? Is it easier to help the stranger?

Yes. Because with the stranger, the role of me being the good person doing something to somone is clear. It gives me the full benefit of "feeling good and feeling better than the other". It also gives the illusion that "the other" needs exactly what I think he needs (and often give without making sure he/she really needs it.) If I take the risk of a personal relationship with the one in need , I make myself vulnerable to the critique/ feedback, that maybe what I did didn't have the outcome I wanted it to have- or the insight that person is not below me but beside me- and might even be giving me something back.

 

[Carolla]

I am conscious of working to be generous in spirit in terms of smiling and greeting others with positive comments, & commenting appreciatively to colleagues who are often taken for granted by others. I often pause to spend time with co-workers who seem to need a listening ear, which may throw off my workday but I make it up later.

While I am not a big giver of pricey gifts, I like to share what I have and enjoy gifting things from my garden - for many months each year, on Monday morning I bring a bouquet of garden flowers for my shared office space - enjoyed by all my colleagues and visitors to the office. It is a small act that brings me pleasure.

I am generous in sharing my knowledge and experience - I like to mentor younger colleagues who are starting out in their careers, or new parents or new gardeners ...

How did this come about? I think perhaps from the example set by my mother, from my years of experience at a terrific summer camp, from my experiences in church as a youth.

Does it ever get me into trouble ... definitely!! LOL.

 

[Tabitha]

I helped a church be generous. While in Edmonton the congregation I was part of inherited a house. It was sold and the church got 350,000 dolars or so. At the time The Board-and the stewards were reducing staffing. They wanted to save most of the money for a "rainy day" or more realistically-building repairs.

I challenged them to be generous, to set an example for those that contributes to the church. I suggested giving about 10% away-perhaps to a new young church with a mortgage, or Bissell Centre.

And bless them they did. 10% was donated and split between a new congregation in a new area of the city, Bissell Centre-serving those who are poor downtown and Habitat for Humanity. All great choices.

 

[Luce NDs]

Yet the busiest generosity is hell bent to set up laws and loess that ensures they pay little if no tax ... or even receive corporate welfare (well as from deep in the po' folks pockets)!

These are the choices made by those that can't see what powers do ... it is a Dumbledore 'f choice ...